G# Locrian 6 Guitar Scale
Guitar scale in Baritone (B Standard) tuning — fretboard diagram
G# Locrian 6 in Baritone (B Standard) — Notes and Intervals
The G# Locrian 6 scale is a rare and dissonant mode that adds a major sixth sparkle to a dark Locrian base. On Guitar, its notes are G#, A, B, C#, D, F, F#. It provides a unique modal variation for experimental compositions and is used to create a sense of distorted major tonality. Commonly used in Experimental, Jazz, Avant-Garde. Notable players include Allan Holdsworth, Steve Coleman. Use over diminished and half-diminished chords in experimental contexts. A modal exploration tool rather than a standard jazz choice.
Notes: G#, A, B, C#, D, F, F#
Intervals: 1P, 2m, 3m, 4P, 5d, 6M, 7m
Degrees: 1 b2 b3 4 5 6 b7
Formula: H-W-W-H-WH-H-W
Number of notes: 7
Tuning: Baritone (B Standard) (B-E-A-D-F#-B)
Also known as: locrian natural 6, locrian sharp 6
About Baritone (B Standard) Tuning
The baritone guitar is tuned a perfect fourth lower than standard guitar (B-E-A-D-F#-B), producing a distinctly beefy tone with serious low-end depth that sits perfectly between guitar and bass. Its rich, dark voice has made it a secret weapon in film scoring, ambient music, and moody songwriting where you need that unmistakable low-end warmth without losing clarity.
Unlike simply tuning a standard guitar down (which causes floppy strings and muddy tone), the baritone guitar uses a longer scale length (typically 27"-30") designed specifically for lower tunings. This gives each note clarity and definition even in the lowest register. Session musicians, film composers, and bedroom producers alike reach for the baritone when they need dark, atmospheric textures, doom-laden riffs, or simply a different sonic palette that standard guitar can't deliver.
Notable artists: Pat Metheny, Nels Cline, Brian Setzer, Baritone session players in Nashville
Best for: Moody songwriting, film scoring, ambient textures, doom metal, and any production that needs low-end depth with clarity
Musical Character
Adds a major 6th sparkle to the otherwise dark Locrian mode — a contradiction that creates a uniquely unsettled, 'glitchy' quality.